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High Stress & Anxiety

Butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth and sweaty palms are all common symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety is a normal response to stress and feeling it on occasion is healthy. However, when anxiety prevents you from living your life or doing the things you enjoy, you may be experiencing the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are common and often occur in people who have high-stress occupations or lifestyles coupled with a strong stress response mechanism.

  1. Stress Response

    • Stress is a survival mechanism in which your body temporarily shuts down non-vital functions like digestion, salivation and reproduction, and diverts all energies to the muscles for swift action in response to immediate threats like predators. Today most of us live in relatively safe environments, but our bodies still respond to non-lethal stressors of our everyday lives via the same mechanism. If your mind and body are constantly experiencing stress because of your environment, you could be setting yourself up for long-term health problems, according to Dr. David B. Merrill at the Columbia University Medical Center.

    Stress Chemicals

    • In humans, there are two main chemicals triggered in response to stress. Adrenaline elevates blood pressure, increases energy and raises heart rate. Cortisol, known as the primary stress hormone, increases sugars in the blood and temporarily shuts down non-essential body functions. According to the Mayo Clinic, these chemicals are also associated with mood, fear and motivation.

    Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

    • According to the nonprofit anxiety disorder resource Help Guide, emotional symptoms of anxiety disorder include feelings of dread or apprehension, irritability, trouble concentrating, restlessness, anticipating the worst and feeling tense or jumpy. Physical symptoms can include pounding or racing heart, sweating, shortness of breath, stomach upset and dizziness.

    Causes

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, the causes of anxiety disorder are not fully understood. It is thought that the condition involves a combination of factors, both genetic and environmental. High-stress lifestyles and occupations in which the stress level stays high for long periods of time are thought to contribute to the development of longer-term problems with anxiety.

    Anxiety Attacks

    • Anxiety attacks, or panic attacks, are sudden body-wide episodes of intense fear or panic. Sometimes panic attacks have a trigger that is obvious, like going in an enclosed space or stage fright, but other times they can come on for no apparent reason, a result of a generalized anxiety disorder. According to Help Guide, symptoms of a panic attack include a surge of panic, hyperventilation, hot flashes or chills, chest pressure, trembling, nausea, heart palpitations, chest pain and trouble breathing.

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